February i, 1683. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 103 
time, but the injury in all probability has been done some weeks or even months 
ago when the buds were in a very small state, and the result of the check then 
received is only now apparent. Some varieties are much more liable than others 
to throw off their buds and flowers from the slightest check. The Countess of 
Derby is rather subject to this if the greatest care is not exercised. If you can 
find out the cause from which your plants have been checked you may be able 
to guard against it in the future, and achieve success another year. 
Pipe3 for East Indian Orchid House (Idem). — Two 4-inch hot- 
water pipes are not sufficient for the house you describe if the height is in pro¬ 
portion to the length and width. You should have at least four 4-inch pipes. 
It is always desirable to have sufficient pipes to maintain the necessary tempera¬ 
ture without overheating them, which you would have to do during severe 
weather if only two pipes were placed in the house. Overheated pipes are very 
injurious, and you had much better have two extra pipes than have to place 
them in after you have probably injured your plants. The extra piping would 
also effect a saving in fuel. The suggestion of the tank is a good one, as you 
will then always be provided with water of a suitable temperature with which 
to syringe and water your plants. The small pipes placed in the tank should be 
supplied with valves, so that the heat can be shut off when the water is liable to 
become overheated and cause too much vapour to rise in the house. This may 
only be necessary occasionally during the winter when the atmosphere and the 
plants will require to be kept drier. During the growing season the moisture 
rising from it would prove an advantage rather than otherwise, and if placed on 
the shady side of the house would suit Thalafnopsis suspended directly over it. 
T our other questions will be answered next week. 
Vines in Pots (II. IF.).—We consider the safest plan for you to adopt will 
be to plunge the pots in a bed of fermenting materials composed mostly of 
leaves, and afford a gentle heat not exceeding 80° ; but we should not do this 
until they had made growths a few inches long. We are not among those who 
believe that Vines never make roots until they have produced foliage. We know 
they never do so under natural conditions, but we have some reason for sup¬ 
posing that they can be made to produce them under artificial circumstances 
and thereby weaken the canes. Plunged as we have indicated the Vines would 
root through and over the pots if covered, and thus derive considerable support. 
We say this is the safe plan to adopt, becau-e we are not acquainted with your 
skill as a cultivator, and especially your judgment as a waterer of plants, if in 
these respects you feel equal to Mr. Bardney, which for anything we know to 
the contrary you may be, then we should advise you to do as he does, repot the 
Vines as he has described on page 41, January 20th, 1881. This number (No. 30, 
vol. ii., third series) can be had from the publisher if needed at the usual 
price, 3 \d. We never saw finer Grapes on Vines in pots than those produced by 
the cultivator named, and the crop on some of the pots was as good the second 
year as is often seen the first time that strong pot Vines are fruited. We know 
well that good crops can be grown with the pots standing on hot-water pipes, 
and we know at the same time that there is risk of a person failing to succeed in 
a first attempt. Malt dust is an excellent manure for top-dressing Vines and 
fruit trees. Cases for binding this Journal can be obtained through a book¬ 
seller for Is. Gd. each, this is better than having them by post. You had better 
consult your bookseller about binding them, as he may be able to give you 
useful advice. 
Pruning Gros Guillaume Vine (I. E.). —This Vine bears better on 
young wood, stout and matured, than from spurs formed by the ordinary close 
pruning, and this is what the cultivator to which you refer meant when he 
advised its being pruned on the long-spur system. The practice he adopts is to 
have some of the laterals a foot long more or less, and secure them if necessary 
to the main rod, pruning to the best bold eye where the wood is hard and ripe. 
Better bunches are almost certam to be produced by this plan than by pruning 
closely and leaving only one or two eyes at the base of each lateral. By the 
long-spur system disbudding in the spring is very important, otherwise the 
growths would be far too crowded. The figure to which you refer represents 
the long-rod system, and well carried out there is not a doubt it would answer 
for Gros Guillaume; but it is absolutely necessary that the young growths 
trained this year for fruiting next be thinly disposed, so that the leaves are fully 
exposed to the direct action of the sun. Your Gros Guillaume coloured well 
because the crop was so light. If the Vine is healthy you may have larger 
bunches and more of them by pruning the laterals much less closely—in fact by 
practising the long-spur system in a more or less modified form according to the 
condition of your Vine and surrounding circumstances. There is a Vine of 
Gros Guillaume in the large vinery at Chiswick, and Mr. Barron systematically 
trains up young canes, removing from time to time some of the older rods, of 
which there are several, as he finds a better crop is invariably produced on the 
young canes than on the older spurred rods. 
Names of Plants ( G.P. ).—1, Alocasia metallica ; 2, Begonia manicata; 
4, Cereus flagelliformis ; 3 and 5, insufficient without flowers. The name on 
the label is Zygopetalum Mackayi superbum. (IF. Monk). —Eucharis Candida. 
(Reader).— 1, Melianthus major ; 2, Sempervivum azoides variegatum; 3, Asple- 
nium Ruta-muraria. 
Various (M. B. D .).—As you are satisfied theie is plenty of honey in the 
hive we should not feed the bees at present; it is only in cases of necessity that 
we give them syrup at this season of the year. The comb foundation is quite 
right, and you may safely trust the bees to adapt it to suit their wants. It will 
not make the honey of a dark colour. It is better to take the honey from supers 
and leave the body of the hive as a food store for the bees. At a meeting of the 
British Bee-keepers’ Association held on February 15th, l>-82, it was unanimously 
resolved that the outside dimensions of the standard frame should be 14 inches 
long, inches deep ; the top bar to be three-eighths of an inch thick, bottom 
bar one-eighth of an inch thick, side bars a quarter of an inch thick. These 
dimensions do not refer to anything outside of the rectangle. It was also 
resolved that standard frames, duly stamped should be provided at 1.?. each. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— JANUARY 31ST. 
Tiie supplies and character of business remain the same as last week. 
FRUIT. 
Apples. 
8. 
d. s. 
0 to7 
d. 
0 
Grapes . 
fb. 
8. 
2 
d. a. 
0 to 5 
d. 
0 
»» . 
Apricots. 
per barrel 20 
0 
40 
0 
Lemons. 
case 
10 
0 
20 
0 
. d oz. 0 
0 
0 
0 
Melons. 
each 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Cherries. 
. } sieve n 
0 
0 
0 
Nectarines. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
12 
0 
Oranges . 
100 
6 
0 
10 
0 
Currants, Black 
. i sieve 0 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches . 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
„ Red.. 
. j sieve 0 
0 
0 
0 
Pears,kitchen .. 
dozen 
i 
0 
2 
0 
r, 
1 
0 
dessert . 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Filberts. 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples, English tb. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Cobs.. 
.. 100 tb. 50 
0 
55 
0 
Raspberries. 
lb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Gooseberries .. 
. t sieve 0 
0 
0 
0 
Strawberries .... 
lb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
Artichokes. 
dozen 
8. 
2 
d. s. 
0to4 
d. 
0 
Lettuces ... 
8. 
1 
d. 8. 
Otol 
d 
6 
Asparagus. 
bundle 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Mushroom s 
l 
0 
1 
6 
Beans,Kidney .... 
100 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard & Cress ..punnet 
0 
2 
0 
3 
Beet, Red. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Onions. 
2 
o 
2 
(i 
Broccoli. 
bundle 
0 
9 
1 
6 
Parsley. 
doz. bunches 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Brussels Sprouts.. 
J sieve 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Parsnips .... 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage . 
Capsicums. 
dozen 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Peas . 
0 
0 
0 
0 
100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Potatoes .... 
6 
0 
7 
0 
Carrots . 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Kidney.... 
6 
0 
8 
0 
Cauliflowers. 
dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Radishes.... 
doz. bundles 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Celery . 
bundle 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Rhubarb .... 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Coleworts_doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Salsafy. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Cucumbers. 
each 
i 
6 
2 
0 
Scorzonera 
1 
6 
0 
8 
Endive. 
dozen 
i 
0 
2 
0 
Seakale .... 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Fennel. 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Shallots .... 
. tt>. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Qurlic . 
tb. 
0 
6 
0 
0 
Spinach .... 
s 
0 
0 
0 
Herbs . 
bunch 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes .. 
. tb. 
0 
8 
1 
0 
Leeks. 
bum h 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Turnips .... 
. bunch 
0 
2 
0 
3 
POULTRY AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 
GOAT FARMING. 
{Continued from page S4.) 
After using tiie before-named precautions we need not be 
afraid of what is called in-and-in breeding, for when we have 
obtained a good family likeness of the type and character we 
advocate we must not think of change of blood outside the boun¬ 
dary of the families we have established. After years of care¬ 
ful selection amongst them we can safely use the best animals 
of each family for crossing with each other, either of males or 
females as may appear desirable. We may, however, after the 
desired type is fixed and the increased stock has got into other 
hands, go to them for a change, which may prove advantageous 
through the influence of soil and climate on which they may have 
been reared. Still we advise breeders to ascertain with jealous 
care that those animals obtained outside the boundary have been 
bred with the same objects in view as those by which the new 
type had been secured ; but the only safe means of continuing a 
breed for special and profitable purposes will be by the establish¬ 
ment of a herd book and society for the same objects that have 
induced cattle breeders to associate for the same purpose, and 
admit no animals except by a pedigree to be agreed upon as the 
basis. It must be remembered, also, that whatever difficulties 
may have occurred to persons engaged in the formation of a new 
type of Goat with special objects in view, that although the 
objects may have been obtained, yet the difficulty of maintaining 
intact the new style and type will prove greater than any which 
had attended the work of combination during the progress of 
cross-breeding, for the simple reason that Nature never stands 
still, but is either advancing and improving, or deteriorating and 
retrograding. Hence the animal we advocate, being a composite 
of various characteristics, will require extreme care and intelli¬ 
gence to prevent future generations either wholly or partially 
receding into one or other of the races from which they were 
originally derived. 
We will now suppose that the object of our ambition has been 
obtained, but in Goat-farming we may all have much to learn in 
their management. We will, therefore, now endeavour to com¬ 
bine in our observations as much as is known relating to the best 
system of treatment of the animal in its artificial state (for it 
will be certainly not in its original) either as a breed, or the 
conditions under which a herd of animals either in large or small 
numbers can be associated in future Goat-farming. We shall 
therefore lay before our readers not only the practice of other 
breeders of experience, but also our own ideas as to further im¬ 
provements which we shall suggest as desirable and likely to 
